Improvement in clay-mills



W. G. MERRILL. Clay-Mill.

No. 218,760. Patented Aug. 19, I879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

WILLIAM G. MERRILL, OF AKRON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAY-MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,760, dated August19, 1879; application filed May 12, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. MERRILL, of Akron, in the county ofSummit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inClay-Mills, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that'class of mills for grinding clay whereinone or more (generally two) wheels are caused to revolve upon theirperipheries Within a circular bed, and while so revolving approach andrecede from the center of the bed. In such machines the grinding-Wheelsare usually mounted and revolve freely upon a horizontal shaft journaledin the center of the circular bed, and a horizontal frame connects andcontrols the longitudinal motion of the wheels upon their shaft, and bymotion communicated to this frame the wheels are caused to slide alongthe horizontal shaft, alternately approaching and receding from thecenter about which they travel.

The object of my invention is to communicate to the grinding-wheels thislongitudinal motion along the shaft upon which they are journaled, so asto cause them to traverse the circular bed as they revolve therein. Thishas heretofore been accomplished by chains wound upon pulleys operatedby screws and worm-wheels, or by endless racks and pinions, as shown inPatent 145,373, of December 9, 1873; but these methods areobjectionable, because they either involve intricate and complexmechanism or parts which wear rapidly, thereby requiring frequentrepairs.

My invention consists in communicating a reciprocating motion to theframe and wheels by a pitman. slotted plate, or equivalent from a crankor wheel bearing a wrist pin, journaled to or within a recess of thevertical shaft, revolving in a plane parallel to the horizontal shaft,and operated by the vertical drivingshaft.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate likeparts, Figure l is an elevation of a clay-mill embodying my inwention,and Fig. 2 a side view of the vertical shaft and connected parts.

The grinding-wheels D D, revolving 1n the circular bed B upon thehorizontal shaft N, are connected and held in place by the frame E. Theshaft N passes through an orifice in, and

is turned by, the vertical shaft 0. This shaft is enlarged and recessedabove the frame E, as shown in Fig. 2, and above the recess is hollowedto receive the shaft J. A gear-wheel, G, is journaled within thisrecess, and bears a wrist-pin, a, which moves in a slotted uprightplate, F, attached to the frame E, and thereby communicates areciprocating motion to the wheels D D along the shaft N.

The wheel G is connected, by intermediate gears H I, with the pinion M,keyed to the shaft J, and prevented from revolving by the bar K.

In operation, as the shaft 0 revolves the wheel H meshes in and revolvesabout the fixed pinion M, thereby communicating motion to the wheel G.

The wheel G may be connected directly with the pinion M. It maybe placedat any angle with the shaft 0; or a pitman or equivalent may besubstituted for the slot F without departing from my invention, whichis' 1. In a clay-mill, a crank or wheel bearing a wrist-pin, revolvingin a plane parallel to the shaft of the grinding-wheels, operated by themain driving-shaft, and adapted, by a pitman or equivalent, tocommunicate a reciprocating motion to the grinding-Wheels along theirshaft, substantially as shown.

2. In a clay-mill, a wheel journaled to or within a recess of, andturning with, the vertical driving shaft, and revolving in a planeparallel to the shaft of the grinding-wheels, engaging, either directlyor by intermediate gears, with a fixed pinion, and adapted, by a pitmanor equivalent, to communicate a recip- 'rocating motion to thedriving-wheels along their shaft, substantially as shown.

3. The herein-described device for giving a reciprocating motion to thegrinding-wheels along their shaft, consisting of the fixed pinion M,gears H 1, wheel G, and slotted plate F, arranged and operatingsubstantially as shown. l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this3d day of May, A. D. 1879.

WILLIAM G. MERRILL.

Witnesses:

E. J. HOWARD, G. P. HUMPHREY.

